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L’Oreal created a few of these for various color eyes so you can either go with what they say is best suited to your eye colors or just indulge in any shade. As you know I’m not one for being afraid of color so I basically buy whatever I think will look good. In this case I did settle on the brown eye version of the mascara which was the Black Quartz shade.

The mascara has a dual side design that features a traditional, basic applicator brush mascara on one side and on the other an illuminating top base coat with a spiked ball design that resembles Givenchy’s Phenomen’Eyes and L’Oreal Telescopic Explosion Mascara.

I’m saddened that they removed the one good thing that made Double Extend Mascara such a great product, the primer. The illuminator now replaces the primer on the other side of the tube and really isn’t all that fabulous in my humblest and takes away from how well the overall mascara works because of the lack of a primer.

It does curl lashes quite well and keeps curl since the formula is super lightweight however…..

The mascara formula isn’t anything I’d personally gush over. It does a basically ok job of lengthening and creating full lashes but nothing dramatic or amazing and as I mentioned twice already the primer that this normally features is really what creates those wow, awesome lashes.

The illuminator is an interesting feature that adds a little more length and hints of burgundy brown sparkle to lashes but you really have to get up close and personal to see the effect.

Anyone who already owns and likes Telescopic Explosion (you may enjoy this style applicator and interesting design if you like and use Explosion already).

Fans of Double Extend (you might be disappointed that this isn’t nearly as great as the regular Double Extend Mascara).

Anyone who wants touches of sparkle and shine to their lashes (yes, it does that, but the results are barely noticeable).

Sadly, L’Oreal Double Extend Eye Illuminator isn’t something that got me crazy excited. The theory of the product is fabulous but the results not so much. It’s just a basic, everyday mascara that doesn’t do all that fab a job of getting lashes longer but does include an illuminator to add a hint of sparkles to the failed mess it creates in the lengthening department.

Not that great in my opinion. Good idea yes, end results, not so great.

Comments

Thanks for the review on this, I’m usually a sucker for these double ended mascaras that are supposed to be fabulous so you’ve saved me $12. The original double extend is one of my favorite mascaras of all time, it just doesn’t seem the same without the primer.

The primer in the original double-extend is amazing. I only recently discovered that mascara and I’m happy that I did. Walgreen’s had a two pack in one of those clearance bins on the end of the beauty isle that had the l’oreal double extend mascara and the clear lash serum that’s supposed to help your lashes grow/get fuller/stronger over time. They were both in one package and it was the price of the mascara alone- you got the serum free. I just wanted to mention that so others can be on the lookout.

Thanks for the review, Muse. I probably won’t be purchasing b/c it doesn’t seem like any of these ‘shimmer’ mascaras are really worth it. And, for the life of me, I can’t figure our how to use that ‘ball’ thing at the end of the mascara! It’s always so clumpalicious.

Either this mascara is doing well at my local store or it is not. The reason I say this is that they have placed some on the impulse-buy areas in the checkout lines. And this is mainly a grocery store- but the various number of beauty and healthcare products rivals that of any drugstore- which is where I will buy these brands of makeup, if I am not indulging myself in some of the super-glams you have to purchase at the department stores, Ulta, Sephora, or the upscalers who own their own stores and exclusively sale their products. And I’ll say…..I’d place L’Oreal products- most of them- right up there with the ones sold exclusively at the department stores.

Of course, I fell for the gimmick and picked up the black quartz for brown eyes. I am Af. American with the darker skin tone of an Iman, so the Double Extend with the primer in Blackest Black has been the first mascara I have found that really pops on my lashes. Even my husband noticed! And some of my girlfriends made compliments. I was even asked if I was wearing fake eyelashes once. My eyelashes are a bit longer than average, but they are sparse, so I need help.

I agree totally that the primer is the STUFF like mana from heaven. I’ve been wearing makeup since my teenage years- some 20 plus years- and this was the first mascara that actually showed up against my complexion and enhanced any eye shadow I choose- or don’t choose to wear-during the week. And believe me, because of my complexion- i have tried different mascaras by the tens of dozens, some costing from $40 to $5, and they all seemed no different on me. I only wear eyeliner during the week on some days, but I always wear mascara. (I am an ultrasound diagnostician, so I am in the dark eighty percent of the time, and the pregnant women i scan just want to see their baby, or the old men who are squinting in pain b/c of kidney stones don’t care if my eye shadow is smoky, neutral,cool or not there at all.)

So….I was happy to see a new Double Extend, and the fact there was the glitter- a nice treat for girl’s night out or a date night with the hubby. Man, was I disappointed! I mean really disappointed. On my complexion, it’s not even much hint of glitter even up close! I only spent a little over 7 bucks, but considering I’ve touted fom of the L’oreal products over some department store makeups- including their foundation. And if you are Af. American with my complexion, please understand this is incredible. I am in the ‘cool’ section and I usually have to pick the last color or next to last color in the dark shades, if the buyer of the particular store even thinks of me- by now, I’ve stopped complaining to the ‘beauty consultant’ who always looks just a tad past 17, and is clueless about what I mean. ‘Deep’ is the term that is usually the color I use- which I find funny for some unknown reason. Does that mean I’m deeper in my thought process than, say a neutral foundation wearer in the middle area? I suppose they mean to compliment me by saying its rich with quite an ultra-thick appearance. (Just say ‘darker’ and ‘darkest’, ‘lighter’ and ‘lighter and lightest’, ‘medium and….you get the picture. Let’s not quibble over ‘Ivory’, ‘Honey’ or ‘Tawny’ please!

Thank you, Muse for your insight. I wondered if any of my sisters of the lighter shades had the same issues. It’s good to know that we ladies of color don’t miss out on all the new and ‘improved’ glam!

hey clarissa thanks for your post/comment I know readers will love reading your feedback ;-D I really enjoyed double extend as well but the illuminator def was the pits wasn’t it? sigh! but hey it’s fun trying this stuff out to see how it’ll work ;-D